PARKER, Arizona — April 2, 2013 — La Paz County, Arizona, Supervisors voted unanimously to select Santek Waste Services to enter into negotiations to become the new operator for their one hundred million plus ton (100,000,000+) County owned landfill. The selection was approved after staff and consultants made the recommendation after reviewing proposals from four solid waste management firms during a RFP process that began in fall of 2012. The fully permitted, Subtitle D landfill has no daily tonnage limitations and can operate 24/7 if demand warrants.
The goal of the RFP process was to identify the best fit for a private partner as the future operator at the La Paz County Landfill. La Paz County wants to more fully promote the use of the Landfill by municipalities and industries seeking a willing host community with competitive disposal rates to create revenues and the potential for spin-off economic development and job creation opportunities. Capitalizing on rail access, La Paz County also plans to solicit waste conversion or renewable energy projects to attract additional waste streams for processing including tires, metals, liquids, mining waste and biofuel producers. Property for waste conversion projects is available at the landfill or sites at an industrial park located on the main rail line, four miles north of the landfill.
The Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, DL Wilson stated that “Our vision for the landfill is to leverage the natural and engineered environmental control attributes with its cost effective operation to provide long-term, disposal options for municipalities who want to work with a cooperative governmental entity under a long-term relationship to benefit both entities”.
The remote, desert landfill is located near Blythe, California and bordered by thousands of acres of federal and state property. The 640 acres site enjoys both rail and highway access to compete for the volumes of special waste and MSW generated from the California market. With a rail right-of-way to the site and service provided by BNSF and Rail America, the landfill will accept unit trains and is expected to become a destination for waste from many parts of the United States.
The Board of Supervisors also voted to give staff and consultants approval to create teaming relationships with certain transportation companies and logistics providers to support bringing waste by rail to the landfill as well as to plan for the construction of a rail trans-load location that supports the operation with entering into competitive, long-term transportation and disposal contracts.
For the past 20 years, the La Paz County Landfill has been safely and professionally operated under a Regional Solid Waste Facilities Operation Contract with Browning Ferris Industries, Inc. (BFI), now known as Allied Waste Services/Republic Services. The contract with Allied expires on November 30, 2013, providing both operators with ample time to transition.
For more information please contact Kelly Sarber at kellysarber@hotmail.com or (760) 613-5994.
About La Paz County:
La Paz County is a 4,500 square mile rural county in Western Arizona that was formed in 1983. It is bordered on the west by the Colorado River with tourism and agriculture being the leaders in the county’s economy. The rural nature of the County provides federal and state economic incentives and possibly grants funding to support economic development opportunities. New waste projects with reference facilities will find a willing host and expedited permit process.
About Santek Waste Services:
Santek Waste Services is privately held and headquartered in Cleveland, Tennessee and has been in the solid waste industry over 25 years. Santek has carved out a specialized niche in the highly competitive landfill operating space, partnering with municipalities to operate their publicly-owned solid waste facilities. Currently, Santek manages 16 publicly owned landfills and two transfer stations throughout nine different states. The Company has been broadening their market territory with its public private partnership approaches favored by governments who desire more transparency and higher revenues from their local operations. The La Paz County Landfill represents Santek's first operating contract in Arizona.